New pics

[TheKeeper]

More pics on my site (under construction)

WWW.thegeckobasement.com

 

[Vince]

is that coconut fiber in the first pic? how do you like that stuff?

 

[TheKeeper]

Coconut fiber

I use it in my humid hides and I like it a lot.

 

[Vince]

what do you use for the rest of the tank? I was thinking of setting up something as a display with my leos in it, got any ideas on what to use as humid hid boxes? right now im useing a old butter tub. but that would look pretty dumb for what i have in mind.

 

[TheKeeper]

Enclosures

I use racks and sweaterboxes, so that's not much help. If you search this forum you can find some great threads with naturalistic vivaria ideas.

 

[mindcrash]

For a more naturalistic look, i purchased a large hide that looks like rock from Petco. I placed it on a cheap ziplock lid, put some moist sphagnum moss down, then the hide over it. Looks pretty good and allows me to just pull up the hide to add more moisture when needed.

 

[acpart]

I have been making ceramic humid hides. If you have access to a pottery studio and a kiln this can be a lot of fun. My humid hides are enclosed with a side opening and sort of look like a (better decorated) version of a tupperware container. Being ceramic they hold the heat well. They would hold moisture better if I didn't glaze them, but I prefer them glazed. The dry hides are gecko-body shaped, open at either end with a ceramic tail. I'd be happy to post pictures if anyone is interested.

 

[Vince]

i would love to check them out

 

[acpart]

Here they are

The enclosed one is the humid hide; the other one (that looks sort of like a gecko body) is the dry hide. I don't like the way I glazed the humid hide. I'd do it differently next time. I'm also working on a food dish where the top curves in to keep the mealworms from getting out, and a ceramic second story for my 20L when I introduce the male to the females.

 

[TheKeeper]

Hides, etc

I use rubbermaid boxes for my hides, not too natural, huh. However I have 2 large tanks that have leos in them and I use ceramic dome hides in those with rubbermaid boxes as the humid hides. For my needs, a small breeder, I need rack systems to maximize space. Breeding season has started, check out my site, www.thegeckobasement.com

 

[reflex21089]

You could get yourself a regular ol ziplock or tupperwear container then cover it with 'Great Stuff' expanding foam form walmart lowes homedepot ect...then when it has cured you can carve it into different shapes with a serated knife, the apply black GE silcone II and the press coco bedding onto it. You could also use clear silicone and use sand instead of coco bedding. Make sure you use the silicone for windows and doors because it doesnt contain a mold inhibitor. Hope this helps..

-Bryan

 

[A_Kendergirl]

Unfortunatly, the only art materials I know of that are considered safe are ceramics and stoneware...and you need a kiln to do both. You do need to be careful about the glaze that you use, because many of the glazes out there contain lead, and are not food grade.

Play-Doh is (suprisingly enough) actually ok...but it's not very strong when it's dry. The only problem is, it will get slimy when wet, and contains a LOT of salt.

You should be able to make something from a wire sub-structure, and the cover it with paper mache. Once everything is dry, you can paint it with pretty much anything - acrylics would be best. Once you're done painting, seal the whole thing up with an acrylic polymer (heavy duty) and you should be good to go! By using a wire skeleton, it improves the strength greatly, and there shouldn't be any problems with a gecko walking across it.

The foam, silicone, and sand idea is pretty good too. The silicone seals in any bad things the foam might contain, and you can stick pretty much anything you want to it to dress it up.

 

[dragonflyreptiles]

Nice leos! And I love my coconut fiber, works great!